Lake Huron/Michigan broke its record for low-water level in December by one centimetre.

One centimetre might not look like much on a ruler but when combined with a wind storm, as it was on Dec. 23, some homeowners on Pine Island, who draw water from the river, were out of luck during the Christmas holidays.

“We couldn’t flush the toilet. We couldn’t wash out our Christmas turkey,” Barbara Espie said. “We had to pack up and leave.”

Rob Caldwell, an engineer with the International Lake Superior Board of Control, said December was not the all-time record low. It was the record for the month of December.

The lake level has, and should be, expected to drop in the future. He makes no predictions of when, but suggests homeowners should prepare for extremes.

“We can’t tell the weather three days in advance,” Caldwell said. “How can we possibly predict the snow pack and evaporation rates for next spring?”

Caldwell has heard all the complaints before and says subsequent rumours are false. The International Lake Superior Board of Control is not holding water in Lake Superior and is are not draining water through the St. Clair River. He provides graphs and charts to back up his statements.

The entire system is low. Precipitation levels were low throughout the year across the Great Lakes. October was the only month with normal precipitation levels on Lake Huron.

All the lakes are lower than they were in 2011. Lake Superior received only 58% of its average precipitation level. Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie both declined in December when they are normally expected to have a seasonal rise.

The good news, officials say, is the rate of decline is slowing. Lakes Huron/Michigan usually see a seasonal drop of four centimetres in December. This year, it only fell two centimetres.

“It’s about hydrology,” Caldwell said. As the level drops, it flows out slower.

However, Espie and other residents of Pine Island were spoiled because the St. Mary’s River outflow — at its minimum low or 1,560 cubic metres per second throughout most of 2012 with the normal seasonal fluctuations — dropped another 1,200 cubic metres per second on Dec. 23 in a wind storm that lasted more than 24 hours.

Kelly Buller’s grandfather bought property on Pine Island in the 1940s and his family became the first full-time residents of the island in 1969. He’s monitored water-level cycles every seven to nine years. He has also stays informed on the causes of how the Great Lakes have seen greater evaporation and lower precipitation with climate change.

“(But) I’ve never seen it like this,” Buller said.

His concern focuses on the reality that this low water cycle is now into its 13th year.

Jay Ambeault, from St. Josephs Island, is a water and well expert with more than 30 years experience.

“Are you draining off the water?” he said.

Everywhere in the region the water table is dropping and the average depth of wells is going lower, and those drawing from lakes need to push their lines out ever further.

Buller extended his lines a few years ago and says he has another 20 feet in his garage ready to be installed. He’s going to need a 100-foot hydro extension to prevent the lines from freezing. Recently, he dug two feet of muck from around the valve.

“I tell my wife when there is a south wind we can shower,” Buller said.

None of the options to extend water systems come cheap. Extending lines in the lakes, Ambeault said, has many relatively smaller costs compared to drilling a well, but dollars add up quickly. Those who opt for cheaper heaters pay more for hydro.

“You never know what you are getting from a lake,” he added.

“UV lights kill bacteria but do nothing for pollution. And some inland lakes are developing blue/green algae. You can’t even wash with it and it is hard to get rid of.”

George Jones, of Exit Reality, said rural properties have good and bad water years. This does not affect the overall value of the property but, if the buyer wants a new well, it can add a challenge to negotiations.

Ambeault said this challenge he would never give a fixed price for a well. Most companies have a minimum, but a guarantee is not possible. In some areas, wells are more than 300 feet deep and can be contaminated with sulphur or salt. There is just no way to know until it’s drilled.

Neither Espie nor Buller knew they could send submissions on how water levels affect their lives to the Joint International Commission.

John Nevin, public affairs adviser for the IJC, said it is always interested in hearing from stakeholders and will be considered, but the report with its suggestions due in February is almost complete.

Those who expressed opinions to the Ministry of Natural Resources or other stakeholders instead of directly to the IJC may not have been included in this report.

Buller has many ideas on how to deal with concerns.

“In a perfect world I would like to see the water stay in Canada,” Buller said.

“I’d like to see them build a dam between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.”